JECHEON — 2017 · Major Tragedy
The Jecheon Sports Centre Fire
On the afternoon of 21 December 2017 a fire started by electric heating wires being installed in the ceiling of the ground-floor car park of the eight-storey Duson Sporium sports and leisure centre in Jecheon, South Korea, set a parked car alight and spread rapidly through the building. The building housed a gym, a golf practice range, restaurants and a sauna. Twenty-nine people were killed and 36 injured. Twenty of the dead were trapped in the second-floor sauna; most victims were overcome by fast-spreading toxic smoke. Around 20 people were rescued from the roof, but dense smoke delayed rescue efforts. It was the country's deadliest fire in nine years and prompted wide debate over fire safety in commercial buildings and emergency response.
- Date
- 2017
- Place
- North Chungcheong, South Korea, Jecheon, KR
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 37.1370, 128.2050 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 21 December 2017Fire from heating wires in the car park ceiling spread through the building.
- 21 December 201729 people died; 20 of them were in the second-floor sauna.
- December 2017The state forensic lab confirmed the fire began in the ceiling.
- 2018Reviews of the delayed rescue and building safety continued.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Jecheon building fire en.wikipedia.org ↗
- ABC News — South Korea fire: 29 dead after fitness centre erupts in flames abc.net.au ↗
- The Korea Herald — State crime lab confirms Jecheon fire started from ceiling koreaherald.com ↗
- Wikipedia
- ABC News (Australia)
- The Korea Herald
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.